Tiger repeat winner of AP athlete

　　Tiger Woods was a repeat winner today as The Associ ated Press Male Athlete of the Year. And like so many o f his amazing victories, it was no contest.

　　Fresh off his incredible season of nine victories, three straight majors, the career Grand Slam(大满贯) and s hots that had to be seen to be believed, Woods joined M ichael Jordan as the only three-time winner of The AP a ward since it began in 1931.

　　He received 47 first-place votes and 160 points fro m sportswriters and broadcasters to defeat back-to-back (连续) Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

　　Woods became the sixth player to win the award in c onsecutive years. The others were tennis great Don Budg e, golfer Byron Nelson, track(田径) star Carl Lewis, quar terback(美橄：组织进攻的四分卫) Joe Montana and Jordan, who won it three years in a row.

　　"It's very humbling," Woods said. "It's a great hon or to be in the presence of such great names."

　　Armstrong had eight first-place votes and 72 points , while St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner was thir d with 34 points. First place was worth three points, s econd place two points and third place one point.

　　In a sport where two strokes(成功) is considered a co mfortable victory, Woods won the U.S. Open by 15 stroke s, a World Golf Championship by 11, the British Open by eight and two other tournaments by at least four stroke s.

　　Woods "is something supernatural, " five-time Briti sh Open champion Tom Watson said. "He has raised the ba r to a level that only he can jump."

　　By Doug Ferguson